The present invention relates generally to apparatus suitable for utilization in the construction and maintenance industries. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus operable in conjunction with a jet engine to effect large scale operations involved in construction, maintenance and related service industries. More specifically, the invention relates to jet engine powered apparatus which controls the flow of air to and the exhausting of expanded high speed, high temperature air to effect removal of moisture and debris of various types and to effect controlled moisture drying, snow removal, vegetation burning and comparable functions.
Historically, the construction industry, certain maintenance and service industries, and certain outdoor recreational industries have been highly dependent upon naturally occurring weather conditions. In this respect, many construction activities have been deemed impossible particularly in freezing weather or extreme snow or moisture conditions at a work site, e.g., construction involving the application of asphalt is dependent upon road bed temperature conditions exceeding the freezing point and excessive ground moisture occasionally produces sufficient mud or water such as to render the use of heavy equipment impossible. In the maintenance and service industries, the removal of snow from airport runways, railway tracks and other large areas has presented extreme problems which previously have been solvable only by the usage of extreme manpower with available equipment over extended time periods. In the recreational field, race tracks are frequently rendered extremely dangerous or unusable due to moisture conditions even substantial time periods prior to scheduled events such as to preclude usage.
In recent years, peripheral factors have brought significant pressure to bear with respect to the possibility of sufficiently altering naturally existing weather conditions to permit the continuation of such activities, at least to a limited localized extent. These peripheral factors include such considerations as the high cost of maintaining a large construction crew although work can only be accomplished on a part-time basis, particularly during certain periods of the year, and the necessity for meeting stringent contractual deadlines in completing construction activities or being subject to severe penalties. In the maintenance and servicing fields, air ports, railways and other facilities can be virtually shut down for varying time periods in cases of extreme snow fall such as to cause substantial operating losses and customer inconvenience. In the recreation field various racing events of all types are scheduled substantially in advance such that all feasible efforts must be exerted even to the point of conducting events on other than dry surfaces in order to avoid cancellations or delays.
As a result of increasing pressures from these peripheral factors, some efforts have been made to develop apparatus which is capable of altering outdoor environmental conditions in relation to the above-discussed industries. To date, these efforts have largely contemplated a combined use of burners operating in conjunction with a blower system. Such apparatus has generally contemplated the ignition of diesel fuel, propane or crude oil in conjunction with a blower system which tends to direct heated air for purposes of drying, snow removal, moisture extraction and related operations. In general, however, the capability of systems of this nature has been limited to situations where only minor alterations in environmental conditions are required due to the limited capability of such systems and their relatively high expense. Altogether, such systems have been sufficiently limited in these respects such that they have not succeeded in gaining any sufficient extent of acceptance and usage in the industries involved.